This is a guest post courtesy of Techwarn that I approved for publishing after review.
I am not responsible for product endorsements in this article.
UPDATE: September, 2021. ExpressVPN has been involved in less than ideal behavior with a recent Israeli acquisition, and affiliation with Project Raven – an alleged UAE spying operation.
Read more here: Edward Snowden Warns Against Using ExpressVPN Due To Exec’s Intel History
and here: Israeli Cybersecurity Firm Kape Acquires ExpressVPN In Near $1B Deal
I strongly recommend that you take this into consideration.
At first glance, the partnership between HP and ExpressVPN on the newly-released HP Spectre x360 13 might sound like a normal day at the office for companies. After all, this is not the first time we have seen a company license the product (software, in this case) of another to be used as a value pack in their own offerings.
However, this is more than just that.
In fact, in times of cyber breaches like this, such a partnership is just what the average user needs to always stay safe whenever they are online.
The importance of VPNs
Computers will usually come with one antivirus software or the other out of the box. Those have become so commonplace, not including one in a desktop or laptop computer would almost look odd.
That is because they used to be the standard for security and privacy, but the world of cyber breaches is not what it used to be.
Thus, a VPN helps in the following ways:
- Thwarts data collection – Your internet traffic data can be collected at will by your internet service provider (ISP). With the pre-installed app running, your traffic will be routed through an encrypted VPN tunnel that jumbles up your internet activities and personal data, making it impossible for your ISP or hackers to pry into your business in any way.
- Secures sensitive details – When we talk about sensitive details, we mean all of those files (internal business memos, financial spreadsheets, legal documents, official papers, credit card details, etc.) which you might have been transferring over the internet. Many users are oblivious to the fact that their connections are open-ended, making it possible for anyone to loop in from the outside.
Featuring a 256-bit encryption protocol out of the box, ExpressVPN closes the open ends of your network so that your internet traffic and sensitive data is only seen by your computer and the target server. That instantly makes it impossible for any hacker to intercept these files over the air, even if you were connected to an unencrypted network.
Besides the above, a VPN does much more for the user. When you are not busy worrying about privacy and security, that piece of software you have on your hand could help you:
- Beat Geo-blocking – Digital nomads, travelers or internet users living in out-of-market countries for certain content will sometimes find it difficult to gain access to select platforms and services on the internet. This is the case with Netflix restricting certain shows for the US markets only.
Before you cast a poor eye on them, note that they are not the only brand with such habits.
Fortunately, you can bypass that with a VPN. Simply connect to a region where the said content is available, and you get the content with ease. - Bypass Censorships – Besides beating content limitations by region, censorships are a great place where VPN plays great roles. Countries like China have blocked access to social media platforms (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.), restricted access to multiple websites and washed down the internet for their citizens.
Just like the above, simply connecting to a region of the world where these services are available will allow you to enjoy them without hassles.
The Future of Security
HP might not know this, but they have set the pace for other manufacturers to follow.
As mentioned above, antivirus software abounds on computers today. They do work, but there is just how much they can do.
Besides rooting out malware in files, helping to investigate attachments and content before you download them while also scanning external drives to remove the possible infection, they are just about limited in fighting all other forms of attacks.
Now that a VPN is in the mix, an average user will have a beefier security protocol than usual. Even if not for the amazing specs that the HP Spectre x360 13 brings on board, the impressive security profile it ships with makes it worth considering many times over.